Crate



Nov. 14, 1939. R. H. FLETCHER CRATE Filed June 16, 1938 I I/vvE/vTo T lCHA-RD H. FLETcH ER Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED stares PATENT orr ca Richard H. Fletcher, Hamburg, N. Y.

Application June 16, 1938, Serial No. 214,095

7 '7 Claims.

My invention relates in general to crates or lugs (as frequently referred to in the trade) for the shipment of fruit, vegetables, and the like. It is well known to those skilled in the art that, in the shipment of fruit, vegetables, and the like in crates, the produce will settle in the crate, so that when it reaches its destination, and the crate is opened for inspection, the same has the apperance of not having been fllied. In the ordinary crate this apparent shrinkage is evident even though the shipper has provided for it in the package by placing within the crate a larger quantity of the produce at the shipping point. It is desirable, therefore, to have some sort of a riser strip which is preferably removed with the cover and which reduces the height of the crate When so removed, so that when the contents of the crate are inspected, the crate will have the appearance of being filled.

This has heretofore been accomplished by slotting the crate ends or sides near the upper edge thereof, thus providing detachable strips by leaving only a small amount of material connecting the strips with the ends or sides, which material is broken through wheninspection is desired, thus leaving the strip separated from the crate. Others have attempted to accomplish these results by having a riser strip nailed onto the crate and having a liner within the crate for keeping the fruit in place along the sides of the crate until the crate is inspected at the point of destination.

The first construction makes it impossible to close or re-seal the crate, with a resultant loss to the shipper. In the second case, the liner cannot be replaced when once removed, and, furthermore, when a prying tool inserted under such a riser strip, it usually is accidentally forced in beyond the inner surface of the riser strip, coming in contact with the contents of the crate and mutilating the same.

The principal object of my invention has been to overcome the above disadvantages and to provide a crate having ,a replaceable cover which may be removed for inspection and easily replaced so as to restore the original condition of the crate, thus avoiding loss to the shipper by reason of the inspection.

Another object has been to provide a device by which the cover may be safely opened without the possibility of injury to the contents of the crate.

Another object has been to provide a crate having means whereby a screwdriver or other tool may be easily inserted in position to conveniently pry off the inspection cover without in any way damaging the crate.

Another object has been to provide means for accomplishing the above results without adding materially to the cost of the crate.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of my improved crate.

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the crate with the cover pried open showing one of its positions when the contents of the crate are being inspected.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional view of a portion of my crate taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View of a modified form of crate, showing my invention as applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a lug box showing my invention applied thereto.

- In my improved crate, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, an upper frame l5 and a lower frame it are provided. These frames are horizontally arranged and are connected together by means of side slats I! and end slats it. As shown in 2 and 3, the end slats l8 extend up to the top edge surface 19 of the end pieces 20 of the top frame. Each end piece 2|] is formed in its upper edge surface with a plurality of prying-tocl-receiving r cesses 2i which extend from the outer surface of the piece to the inner surface thereof. Since the end slats l8 extend to the top edge surface l9, the inner end of each of the prying recesses 2i will be closed or provided with a bottom by reason of the arrangement of the slat i8, which will act as a stop for the prying tool inserted in the recess.

In my construction I provide a riser strip 2. 40 which is secured on top of each of the end pieces 20 and on mp of which is disposed the cover or lid 23 formed of the usual slats 26 and the end strips 25. The riser strips may be to the end piece 20 before the crate is filled and'before the cover is putin position. If desired, the riser strips may be secured to-the cover before it is put in place. After the crate is filled, the cover is placed in position andnailed in place by nail long enough to pass through the strip and a the riser strip 22 and into the end pieces 23 f the upper frame it, thus securing the riser strip 22 and cover strip 25 together.

While only one end piece 29 has been shown with its recesses 2|, it isobvious that the end pieces 20 of the top frame [5 at both ends of the crate are equipped with such recesses.

When it is desired to open one of my crates for the inspection of its contents, a screwdriver or other suitable tool is inserted in the recesses 2| and a riser strip is pried upwardly and thus separated from the end strip 20. It will be seen that when the riser strip is in position and the tool is inserted, the end slat i8 closes the rear end of the recess so as to act as a stop for the tool being used, whereby it is impossible to carelessly allow the tool to slip into the interior of the crate and thus mutilate the contents. As shown in Fig. 2, when the inspection cover has been pried loose at one end, the riser strip '22 and inspection cover 23 will be removed as a unit and this unit may be moved upwardly any desired amount, using the nails at the opposite end of the crate as a hinge. After the contents, have been inspected, the end of the cover may be moved down in place and the nails which secured that end of the coverin place may be registered with the openings initially .made thereby, and the crate thus restored to its original condition, ready to be sold.

While I have shown and described but one end of the cover 23 as being elevated for the purpose of inspection, it is obvious that, if desired, both ends may be conveniently pried loose and the entire cover removed with the same ease of replacement thereof at the end of the inspection as if only one end had been removed.

It is obvious that the recesses 2| may be uti lized on crates where no riser strip is employed as, for instance, on a crate of the modified form, shown in fragmentary, sectional manner in Fig. 4. In this type of crate, the end 30 is made in the form of a frame composed of top and side pieces 3!, as well as a bottom piece, not shown, of open framework, to the inside of which are secured the slats 32. Where the slats 32 extend to the upper edge surface 33 of the crate end, the recesses 34 may be formed clear through the upper strip 3!, since the end slats 32 will form a bottom for such opening. In this figure, 35 represents the cover and 35 the cover strip. which are nailed directly to the top portion 3| of the frame.

Furthermore, my invention may also be applied to the lug box, as shown in Fig.- 5. In containers of this type, the end 4i) is usual y of solid Wood, having no slats, and when my invention is applied to this type of end, the recess M does not extend all'the way through the end but some material is allowed to remain at the inner end, thus providing a stop wall 42 at the end of the recess. In this figure I have also shown the usual riser strip 43 employed in lug boxes of this type. The cover of this lug box is represented by 44, together with its end strip t5. Obviously, the method of opening crates or lug boxes of the types shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is identical with that above described in connection with m improved crate.

While I have shown the prying recesses closed at their inner ends by means of the end slats of the crate, it is obvious that thin strips may be placed over the inner ends of the recesses in crates Where the slats do not extend up far enough to cover the recess ends. I have shown in the drawing but two recesses and it is obvious that the number of recesses may be increased with the increase in size of the crate.

Obviously, these and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A crate comprising end walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, a cover for the crate, one of the end walls being formed in its top edge surface with prying recesses accessible from the outside of the crate, a stop at the inner end of each of the recesses and forming a fixed part of the inner wall of the crate, whereby the cover may be conveniently pried loose from the ends without injury to the contents by the prying tool.

2. A crate comprising end walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, a cover for the crate, one of the end walls being formed in its top edge surface with prying recesses accessible from the out side of the crate, the end walls having slats which extend to the top edge surfaces thereof and across the recesses for covering the inner ends of the recesses, whereby the cover may be conveniently pried loose from the ends without injury to the contents by the prying tool.

3. A crate comprising end' walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, a replaceable inspection cover for the crate, one of the end walls being formed in its top edge surface with a prying recess accessible from the outside of the crate, and stop means comprising a fixed part of the crate for closing the inner end of the recess to limit the insertion of a prying tool therein, whereby the cover may be conveniently pried loose from the end wall without mutilation of the crate and without injury to the crate contents by the prying tool, and thereafter replaced thus restoring the crate to its original condition.

4. A crate comprising end walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, each of the end walls being formed in their top edge surfaces with spaced prying recesses, a stop comprising a fixed part of the crate for closing the inner end of each of the recesses, a transverse riser strip disposed on the upper edge surface of each of the end walls and common to all of the recesses whereby a prying tool will engage the riser crosswise, and a replaceable inspection cover secured on top of the riser strip, whereby the riser strip and cover may be pried loose from the end wall without mutilation of the crate and removed as a unitwithout. injury to the crate contents and thereafter easily replaced, thus restoring the crate to its original condition.

5. A crate comprising end walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, each of the end walls being formed in their top edge surfaces with spaced prying recesses, the end walls having slats which extend to the top edge surfaces thereof and across the recesses for closing the inner ends of the recesses, a riser strip disposed on the upper edge surface of each of the end walls and over the recesses, said riser strip seating on the upper ends of the slats whereby to cover the sharp upper edges thereof, and a replaceable inspection cover secured on top of the riser strip, whereby the riser strip and cover may be pried loose from the end wall without mutilation of the crate and removed as a unit without injury to the crate contents and thereafter easily replaced, thus restoring the crate to its original condition.

6. A crate comprising end walls and side walls, a bottom for the crate, each of the end walls being formed in their top edge surfaces with spaced prying recesses, the end walls having slats which extend to the top edge surfaces thereof and across the recesses for closing the inner ends of the recesses, a riser strip disposed on the upper edge surface of each of the end walls and over the recesses, said riser strip seating on the upper edges of the slats and forming a continuation of the inner wall surface of the crate, and a replaceable inspection cover secured on top of the riser strip, whereby the riser strip and cover may be pried loose from the end wall without mutilation of the crate and removed as a unit without injury to the crate contents and thereafter easily replaced, thus restoring the crate to its original condition.

7. A crate having body-defining walls, and a replaceable inspection cover seating on the upper edges of the walls, one of said walls and said cover having abutting parts, one of the abutting parts being formed with a prying recess open to the exterior and of less depth than the wall thickness whereby to provide stop means to limit the movement of a prying too1,wherebythe cover may 10 

